Sonnet XLVIII
by LSR-7
Summary: Enjoying the softer side of things after such harsh reality, Evey and V live to take the next step.VEV Yes, another V survives story.Movieverse, possible influences from Comicverse.Spoilers.Not poetry, Please RR! Prequel to Minotaur
1. Chapter 1

Sonnet XLVIII

Disclaimer: V for Vendetta is the property of DC Comics and Warner Bros. Entertainment Co.

I do not make profit from this story.

I have written in a couple different fandoms before but this will be my first in V-verse. I am not well versed in classic literature and I applaud the many authors are or have looked up many a great quote to have come from V's mouth in their fanfics. I can only hope, however, that someone will enjoy my story.

Thank you.

Chapter 1

She grazed her palm against the ends of her short bristle of hair. It wasn't quite bristly like she remembered her father's beard shadow after he came back from a long day of work had been, not scratchy, but it didn't feel as soft as when her hair was long.

She put her almost frail hand down. It was still an odd feeling, this buzzed hair cut, even though Evey had it like this for a while now. It was just that when she had been imprisoned she hadn't dared touch her hair in her sorrow and pain from everything else, the tortures, she only allowed herself to curl up on the floor of her small, sickly cold cell.

Evey looked at herself in the mirror. She was no longer starved looking, but there was something hollow about her eyes even while they were piercing to any observer, piercing with strength that she had gained. Her hands looked frail; she looked frail at a glance and was sure it had to do with her shorn head; she hadn't fully recovered from her false incarceration as well. But she realized that she was far more fragile in another way before the transformation, before meeting V.

The young woman turned away from the mirror and flicked the light off with her fingertips as she walked out of the bathroom. She smiled as she walked back to V's room. Yes, he was alive and well, as well as a body could be that had been riddled with bullets little less than a week earlier. She stepped in from the cool stone hall to his darkened room, no longer locked with the master's return from what had seemed to be the final farewell. He was sleeping, probably, Evey couldn't always be sure since he continued to insist on wearing that grinning macabre mask (or that is what she had thought in the beginning, now it was to her as soft and full of expression as a real face most of the time when V wanted it to be, and for V it might as well have been his real face since his voice held enough inflection in it self to show expression, but he was also infuriatingly aggravating by how he hid so much in his verbose displays when all she wanted was a straight, succinct answer).

For now, by the tilt of V's face, soft black wig splayed out around his head, his slack body, arms lying limp next to his body on top of the comforter, Evey accurately guessed his state of unconsciousness.

She softly closed the door behind her, the light from the door narrowing into a slit and disappearing, and stepped into the book-lined room that was V's, most likely the library before she had come into his life. She slowly padded in on bare feet, thankful the floor had a rug upon the cold stone. She reached his side and sat in the chair next to him, reaching out with a thin hand to his large resting one. His bare hand, her lips curled gently as she clasped their hands, she had won _that_ argument. She sighed with the feeling of his oddly raised flesh, not rough, but smoothly snarled if that was a way to describe it. She gently rubbed the back of his scarred hand with her free one, loving the feeling of it, the feeling of V. His warm fingers slightly curled around her hand with no other movements to suggest consciousness.

The room was sparsely furnished, only the chair she sat on and a cot which he slept upon aside from the cases of banned books. She remembered when she had argued with him after they had cleaned him up, telling him he should have her bed since it technically was his and would be more comfortable, but he didn't listen and she dropped the issue after realizing the depth of his convictions on this point and not wanting him to expend precious energy that should be put forth into his healing. Stubborn man.

She still couldn't believe how quickly a year went, from their meeting, her running away, the false imprisonment, and destroying Parliament. And how he came back…


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The night of the fifth, after all was done, her farewell to Finch and the fires of Parliament burned low, Evey had returned to the slight chill of the Shadow Gallery, truly full of shadows and all of them empty, curled up on the couch, listening to the horrible silence. She didn't want to admit it, but for all the strength that she had gained she still couldn't stop herself from breaking down and mourning for V, her shoulders shuddering painfully from the loss, face and eyes quickly stung red with tears. She fell asleep curled up on the soft couch.

Evey didn't know how long she had slept but she was startled out of her sleep. She didn't know why she had woken up… then she heard it in the stillness of the underground. A faint scraping. Her heart hammered in her chest and ears as she wondered who it could be. Who would know of this place? She had been careful not to reveal this place even to Finch. She stilled herself and waited to make sure she had actually heard anything, not allowing herself to even dare to breathe, to hope… There it was again!

She ran to the door, then slowed down, it could be Fingermen, but it could also be-

Evey grabbed a heavy, but small, bronze bust of some philosopher she couldn't name and crept to the shadowed door. She unlocked it slowly and quickly opened the door by its cool metal knob with the bust raised high over her head ready to strike. She then looked down at the black figure on the cold ground and gasped, quickly dropping to her knees, tears squeezing out as she tried to force them back.

"My god!" she was able to push out as she quickly, gently, put her arms under V's shoulders.

She heard a faint, wet chuckle, "I don't believe my dear Evey that is, I doubt a god would feel even a prick of pain, but thank you for the compliment," he quipped between gasps, tilting his head slightly up to try and look at her.

She was alarmed by the sound of gurgling liquid in his voice, looked at the trail of smeared blood he had left behind; he must have dragged himself all the way to the entrance of the Shadow Gallery. She would need to destroy the evidence later so no one stumble upon their home after she took care of V, she had a horrible suspicion that he had a hole in his lung as well as other inaccessible wounds and bullets within his body that she was nowhere prepared enough to take care of.

"We need to get you inside, I thought you were dead! I'm so sorry I put you on that godforsaken-" she blathered, trying to keep her senses about her, tears welling up in her raw eyes again.

"I prob'ly was, but don't you fret about that now. I had asked for a Viking death after all. I mean not to stress you, but if I could ask you to bring me in…" V started gently.

"Yes! Yes of course, I'm so sorry V."

Evey reigned herself in and tried to delicately turn V over onto his back and pulled him back by under holding under his shoulders. He was quite heavy and he didn't motion to stand, telling her how much pain he must be in, she was sure he wouldn't allow her to drag him in as he was so used to being self-sufficient in similar circumstances were it not for his extensive injuries.

She finally had him at the couch, she couldn't drag him any further and she wasn't sure how much it had harmed him to drag him all that way either. He tried to pull himself up, but the young woman did most of the work and got him up onto the couch. She started stripping him of his bloodied clothing, including his boots, and as she reached to start unbuttoning his shirt his unexpectedly strong hand grabbed her, the bullet-nicked mask looking at her in… worry? Anxiety?

"Evey-" V started, but was silenced by Evey.

"I don't care V, I never did. It doesn't matter, especially now, I need to get this off and see what I can do about any bullets that might still be in there, or at the least clean you off until we can figure something out. Your scars are of the least to worry about now, I love you."

He stared at her, without words, not purposefully, for one of the few times in their existence together and loosened his hand from around Evey's, allowing her to continue unbuttoning his shirt. Before she pulled it off she suddenly remembered first aid.

"I'm sorry V, I forgot, I need to go get some cloth and water. Do you have gauze or anything first aid?"

"You will find what you need below the sink," V responded in a tired voice.

"Hang on, I'll be right back, don't," she didn't finish her thought verbally and just said, "Just don't, okay?"

V understood her unvoiced plea.

Evey came rushing back to his side, arms full of all she could think of that V would need. She filled a large bowl full of water and set everything beside her as she slowly pulled partially crusted shirt off of V's chest. Re-opened wounds, most likely from V dragging himself, greeted her eyes as well as horrible dirt and his angry flesh of healed burn scars. She placed towels along his sides, not wanting the couch to get anymore dirtied and wet from what she was about to do next.

"V? Can you feel if there are any bullets lodged in you? I'm going to try and clean out everything first though anyway."

His grinning mask had been facing her this whole time, silent through her preparations.

"Do not worry about the bullets for now, you can remove them later. My body shouldn't be in too much jeopardy, or is in far too much. My vital organs should be mending soon enough, or enough for it to be left alone until I've recovered some blood," V whispered, his rich voice faded and not convincing Evey. But she really couldn't argue, they didn't have any blood packs to hook him up to that she knew of. Feeling helpless, but doing what she could, Evey began rinsing his wounds with water, his weakened body tensing slightly every now and again. The towels at his sides became a dark pink as the contaminated water trickled down.

V felt the burning of the pain, but minimized as much as he could his reaction for Evey's sake. She had pulled out the rubbing alcohol and stared at it, he knew what she must have been thinking, the look on her face said it all, 'I have to, but, shit!'

She looked over at him grimly, silent, seeming to weigh the options, but V did it for her.

"Use it, there is no other way to prevent infection," he said, bracing himself.

She hesitated, but answered, "I'll do it as quick as possible."

V grunted with the painful contact of the fiery liquid touching his various wounds and of Evey dabbing it up with cotton balls. He's felt unimaginable pain, pain from his baptism of fire that nothing else could match, but the alcohol still pained him nonetheless. He released his pent up breath when Evey finally finished the unpleasant business and wrapped him up with gauze to the best of her ability.

"I still need to check your legs, I'll need to remove your trousers," Evey stated nervously.

"Is this your way of romancing me Mademoiselle?" he joked, "You must allow me some of my dignity."

Evey blushed while keeping her face serious, but her worry and duty to seeing him to his health outweighed any embarrassment this may cause both of them.

"I trust you wear pants underneath?" she asked, trying to keep the blood rushing to her face to a minimum, trying to stay professional.

His head tilted, as if considering his answer, but he nodded in the affirmative deciding that she would get her way in his weakened state anyways. She removed his black socks first, not wanting anything to hinder her removal of V's trousers but quickly came to the realization that his thighs at least had swollen up to such an extent that there would be no easy removal.

"I'm going to have to cut your trousers off."

"I was afraid of that, there is no avoiding it. I have many sets of clothing so there are no worries about depriving me one pair," the reclined masked man replied.

Evey glanced up at the unchanging face of her declared loved, although a sorry sight it was currently and she also realized how heavy his current mask must be, it must be made of some sort of metal to have deflected those bullets that had left grazes in his visage. She got up and left to retrieve a pair of shears and returned with them and a light, plastic version of V's borrowed face. She handed him the Guy Fawkes mask and turned around, her request silent, but understood by the surprised man. Yes, he was touched by her thoughtfulness and was not yet ready to show her what was beneath the mask, he already felt too revealed and vulnerable as it was.

She turned around after she heard something heavily thunk against the stone floor and the slide of plastic against flesh as the new mask was put in place. Evey knelt down beside him again and proceeded to cut up a sticky pant leg, being careful not to hurt him with the shears. She completed her task and followed the same procedure of cleaning as she had with V's torso and arms.

Finished bandaging his legs, which thankfully seemed to have only a couple of holes, bullets evidently shot clean through, she cleaned up all the blood soaked towels and gauze wrappers. She returned to his side with a thick blanket, wondering if he had fallen asleep. She spread the blanket over his black boxer briefs clad body. She felt the corners of her lips twitch up as she thought, 'It figures.' She had almost allowed herself to imagine him wearing boxers with red heart patterns, or yellow smiley faces, something ridiculous like his flowery apron.

Evey sat down on the chill rug-covered floor leaning against the couch V lay upon, her hand holding his against his side, fingers interlaced, resting her head against his uninjured shoulder, which she kissed before doing so, and watched him as he slept. She soon followed him into a deep, exhausted sleep as the day's events caught up with her.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Notes: Disclaimer: V for Vendetta is the property of DC Comics and Warner Bros. Entertainment Co.  
I do not make profit from this story.  
Not much going on in this chapter, but that should soon change as we go on.

Thank you all for leaving reviews. The thing is I can see that I've had at least 100 hits per chapter, but only 5 reviews (for which I'm very thankful for!) Thank you reviewers!

Chapter 3

Evey's sleep was disturbed by movement from her side, hand tightening around V's. She blinked her bleary eyes rapidly and looked over at V who had frozen partway sitting up, his countenance somehow hinting at guilt.

"V, what are you doing?" Evey asked with scrutinizing eyes.

"I-" he started, but was cut off.

"You need to stay down and actually allow your body to rest, if you need anything ask me. I did not clean you up just so you can go injure yourself even more," she said firmly, letting him know she meant business.

"Why, dear Evey, I had no purpose in harming myself I just did not want to distress you for the small matter of using the facilities," he reasoned with her in his smooth voice.

Evey colored slightly, of which V took some satisfaction from, but she spoke seriously, "That would still exasperate your injuries I'm sure. You either let me help you to the bathroom from now on or you could use an improvised bedpan, make your choice because if you choose to go without my help in your condition I will be forced to find out how to place a catheter in you."

There was silence in the room, Evey was sure that if she could see his face it would probably have paled at the thought, not because he would find the catheter anymore uncomfortable than his lesser wounds (he'd been burned alive after all) but for his (sadly) strange sense of gentlemanly honor. Probably the thought of Evey seeing his… more delicate parts.

"That will be quite unnecessary," he said in a clipped tone, masking his embarrassment, "As I do not want to even _think_ about such a repulsing…" he seemed to change his mind about those line of words and flowed into the next sentence, "I am fully capable of walking, but as you do not leave me a choice, please escort me."

Evey wanted to giggle but suppressed it into a struggling smile which she immediately smoothed out, although the mirth showing through her worried eyes could not be concealed as she answered mock-seriously, "Of course."

V tilted his head slightly and Evey had the feeling he was squinting into her through the slits of the mask's eyes, but he straightened up slowly. Evey ran her hand across his shoulders and slid her arm under his arm and around his torso, her shoulders under his other arm as she supported him. That he was even able to stand would have amazed anyone else after such a night, but as V was not normal in any sense of the word and Evey had quite the time to have gotten to know him she was barely surprised. He didn't speak with the squishing sound she had heard earlier that night that had made her fear the possibility of a wounded lung, although she did wonder at the probably amazing healing abilities the man behind the mask held.

His body was hard against her as they walked across cold floor bare feet would cringe upon, his arm solid and warm as much as his side was on her. The young woman would have never thought that she would see such a man as he in barely more than underwear upon scarred legs, leaning against her for support.

"This is where I must draw the line, trust that I can stand by myself for the time I need," his voice brooked no argument as he leaned himself against a wall in front of the toilet, the room small enough that he would have immediate support from the surrounding should he feel the need to collapse.

"Of course, tell me when you're done," Evey replied, cheeks tinted barely at the thought as she left and lighted room and closed the door behind her to give him privacy. She had never heard him go to the bathroom before now that she thought about it. He had always been reading, making breakfast, or any other manner of things that precluded the possible uses of such a thing as a toilet. It had made her wonder when he did such things, and hold it for so many hours until he was out or she asleep? She almost even fancied that he had no such uses for bodily functions.

Inside the bathroom V turned on the faucet for some noise, it made him nervous that she was awake and although he heard her walk away from the door he had quite the shy bladder.

Evey had helped V back to the couch, they agreeing that having him in the living room would be most convenient for the both of them until he could confidently walk by himself (with Evey's approval of course).

Evey fussed around V, making sure he was comfortable with the blankets and pillows she had fetched him, asking if he needed tea or would like to eat something. V felt quite pleased with all the attention he received from her despite the previous embarrassment of her having to strip him down. It could not be helped since attempting his full range of motion with his current injuries was not plausible at all with the pain it would cause him, especially when there was an extra set of hands willing to help him with all his needs. He had never in his memory been pampered as much as he was now, which wasn't hard to imagine seeing that he had not had human contact the past two decades until just this last year.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Thank you to those of you who have left reviews for me! (Angelous-Cantus, SupportSeverusSnape, Libertad23, brainfear, Belmont-Bellamy, TheShadowCat, Storm, kriitikko, Young Chika, and Naphtali Phoenix). Apparently 130 people at least have read to my third chapter, and I have 15 total reviews for the whole story… 'fess up! Anyways, another slow (and short) chapter and now I realize I should pick up the pace. Please read and review!

Chapter 4

V had tried to convince Evey that he would not need her assistance at night, vehemently even, but she had clearly taken charge of the circumstances and with her blankets and pillows situated herself next to the couch on the floor leaving an exasperated V to fume on the neighboring furniture. Despite that, although the gentleman in him wouldn't admit it, he loved her for it. Which was a subject that they had not yet broached, leaving their energies to making him stable and healthy again. It was only a matter of time before it was brought up since his recovery was quite rapid. Even as tentatively as he thought about it, he warmed at the remembrance of her declaration of love that had come out in the tumble of words to convince him to allow her to take care of his wounds.

He had watched her carefully through the slits of his mask, looking for a reaction to his burned body. It would be a lie to say she did not notice the scars covering his whole body, but her flinches had seemed only to do with the new bullet wounds and her cleaning them. The cynical part of his mind, which is fairly loud, told him that those wounds were the focus that if it were a different situation she would not touch him, not look at the horrid mass of livid scars he called a body, it was only obligation. But a small timid corner of his mind entertained the thought of her not caring about all of that, that she could see past it all to his core, that which was inside the shell that made him V.

V watched her now below him at his side as she turned on the floor, shuffling the blankets and turned her face towards him in her sleep. He wanted to stroke the bristle of hair that peeped out from under the covers, so easily would his arm slide down from his side to her and his fingers to caress the delicate hairs upon her round head. He would want to feel it, currently his hands were gloved, seemingly pointless now that his dear Evey had seen most of his body and his hands once before unfazed. He also wore a loose button down pajama shirt and drawstring pants for modesty's sake. The look of triumph on her face when she discovered them had amused him. He knew she probably questioned if he actually slept and would even change from his daytime attire.

Evey shifted again in her sleep, her covers moved down to her collar bone, then stilled. The temptation to touch her became greater. Her pale, delicate neck was exposed now. V flexed and clutched his large hand. Oh the unknowing temptress! And here he was unable to do much because of his wounds… that and his uncertainty in his standing with her. He stared up at the ceiling. They had professed their love to each other, he to her when he thought he was to die in her arms and she to him in a burst to care for him. Things had changed for him though. He did love her, does love her, but he said it when he was certain he would meet his maker and had not planned on surviving. Now he had to live with the consequences of surviving and he was afraid, he had no plan, no goal to work toward as he had the past twenty some odd years for the fall of Parliament and the corrupt officials who made him what he was.

The stone ceiling remained silent and cold.

V turned his head to look at the beauty down on the floor and caught his breath when he realized that Evey was awake and staring at him with those soft brown eyes. Her mouth was gently curved up as she spoke quietly, "Hi there."

"Hello," he answered, at a loss for further words.

Evey lifted her head and looked around the room and spotted the clock, "It's still much too early to be up," she commented with a groan. She dropped her head back down onto her pillow. V made a noise from the back of his throat that could only be in agreement. His senses went on high alert when he saw her move her hand and arm up the couch and tracked the movement with his eyes. Her small hand came to rest delicately, hesitantly, upon his own gloved hand. Her fingers smoothed down his and curled around them. V didn't move for fear that she would remove her hand and looked over at her. Evey was staring intently at their hands, a slight blush across her thin face as she avoided meeting his eyes.

After assessing the situation for a moment V carefully turned his hand palm up to take Evey's hand into his own, committing himself to this sweet moment at least. He cautiously hoped for more in the near future and was developing his next life's mission already hoping against hope that Evey will allow him to fulfill this.

Evey felt warm from his and her advances. Holding hands was definitely a step and she felt infinitely happy that he allowed her this. She hoped to advance their relationship further as trust was built. That this man who was formerly an idea would allow it at all.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Notes: Thank you all for your encouragement! You reviewers make me so happy! It appears there are around 190 readers according to my stats which is wonderful, but only a couple handful are telling me their opinions. Oh well, I can't really ask for much.

So anyway this chapter is somewhat slow in one sense, you all can figure out what that means if it even is by your standards, but on the other hand it is a longer chapter.

Please review!

Chapter 5

Evey had finally gotten up off the floor and after a discussion with V tried to prepare her mind for the grim work ahead. They couldn't wait any longer, they had to remove what bullets they could today. Already some of the wounds, despite the alcohol, were becoming infected where the bullets were still lodged in and oozed a sickly yellow puss.

The young woman had entertained the thought of first getting some food into their stomachs but thought better of it. After all it would probably be only a waste since she had a sickening suspicion that she would only vomit it up later after helping V remove shrapnel from deep within his infected flesh.

"Where do you want to do this V?" Evey finally asked after having gathered all the needed supplies on the kitchen table. Light nauseatingly glinted off of the sterile, sharp metal instruments on their tray.

The masked man looked up from studying the various equipment from his chair, the bright kitchen lights creating a jovial expression despite the heavy knowledge that rested upon the occupants. "We can do it right here," he quietly replied, his answer sounded as would a judge passing a sentence to Evey's ears.

"Oh, alright then," she responded, a bit surprised, "Um, so what do I do?"

They removed V's pajama top, she unbuttoning it and he shrugging it off painfully. She started wringing her hands unconsciously then stopped herself when she noticed and listened to V's instructions.

"Go wash your hands with iodine and soap. You will need with your hands up and let the water run down to your elbows so that any dirt and germs you may have-"

"Will run down away from my fingers and hands that I will need to touch your wounds with," Evey finished for him as she turned to the sink and began to wash up. V nodded, pleased with her deduction.

"But of course you will still be using surgical gloves and they, hopefully, will not break," V provided, "Keep your hands up and come over here."

Hands still wet she did as instructed and came to V who stiffly held a surgical glove open for her to slip her hand up into with a snap and then covered the other.

He had her pull up the other chair so that she faced his left side. They were going to start on his arms first since they can do that while he was sitting up. The tray of medical instruments were set next to her on the table as were gauze pads, bandages, and iodine. What she was attempting to do would be best suited at at least a sterile clinic, quite incongruent to a homey kitchen. But then again this is the kitchen of the infamous terrorist V.

"Fear not, this shouldn't be too difficult since my body has already started to push the bullets out. It will be more like pulling them out rather than digging them out," he reassured Evey cheerfully.

Unfortunately it did little to ease her. She stared at his wrapped arm and pulled out the blunt ended shears that were made for the purpose of removing bandages and proceeded to cut off the gauze. The gauze patches the bandages had held down stuck to the various wounds, blood and puss having soaked through their centers. Evey carefully removed them, wincing at how the gauze fibers stuck and pulled at the scabbing edges of the bullet wounds, pulling up some skin then a jagged piece of scab lifting up and off. She finished pulling them off and tried to prepare herself for the real work.

"Start with the wounds from the top of my arm then work your way down. You will need to clean the area with the iodine after pulling each one out," V instructed from behind the mask, it's white visage trained on her face, "By the feel of it I think you will mostly be using those tweezers for the ones in my arms. Flush out some of the discharge with the water. Hopefully you will be able to see the bullets."

"Okay," Evey answered with a visible gulp of her dry throat.

She picked up the clear squeeze bottle with the angled and narrow-tipped nozzle and began squirting out the discharge of the hole in his triceps. Sure enough she could see the dull gray of what could only be a bullet in the angry flesh surrounding it and picked up the long surgical tweezers. With trepidation she brought the instrument close to his shoulder and with a nod from the masked man brought it to his flesh and into the open wound. The young woman was already beginning to feel nauseous, fortunately for Evey and V her stomach was empty. She held back her gag reflex and opened up the tweezers, knowing it would have to touch the sides of the wound to encompass the foreign object.

V's arm spasmed when the tweezers dug in to gain purchase around the intruding bullet and before she knew she was thinking it he quickly pushed through probably clenched teeth, "Don't pull out, you have to do it regardless of my pain!"

Her eyes pricked and watered at the obvious pain she caused him, but she pushed on and finally dislodged the bullet, pulling it out. V's shoulders fell slightly, tension released, but knew truly that only more was to come. Evey stared at the bloody bullet, not believing that such a small thing was the cause of so much pain and misery, so many deaths.

"I do hope you have some skills of a seamstress."

Evey looked up at her companion grimly and nodded. This would be a long day for the both of them.

Evey didn't know how many hours she had spent on V's arms, but even a minute seemed too long to see him in pain. Sweat trickled down from patches of skin that had not been entirely burned off such as part of his underarms, a scrap on his chest, and from the trickle of sweat that seemed to come down from his neck perhaps a bit from under his jaw.

She had dug out all the bullets in his arms, some she had to cut the wound wider under his direction in order to do so since his body had not been able to work them all loose unfortunately. She had cleansed and then stitched up all of them. She felt clammy and knew she had to be very pale. One would wonder which it was that had had bullets removed from them with no painkillers.

"My dearest Evey, you certainly look a fright. Perhaps you need to lay down a bit. We can wait to get the ones in my body another time," V finally said, seemingly recovered and now very concerned for his young attendant. She looked almost worse than when she had been his prisoner if that was possible. Evey was staring down at the floor, seeing all the blood and iodine that had dripped down onto it and knowing that she would need to clean it up. The bright kitchen light was making her feel worse, but she needed to at least clean herself up before she went to rest.

As she motioned to get up and to pick up the tray of medical instruments that were too close to looking like devices of torture V interrupted her, "Do not worry about that, just clean yourself up. I am quite grateful of your great service to me and my arms will heal much quicker no doubt."

"But V-"

"No buts," he interrupted sternly, "Now off you go."

Evey stared at him blankly, unbelievably. She made no motion to rise from her chair, or do anything for that matter. V lifted his bare hands and started removing her bloodied surgical gloves from her shaking hands, rolling them off so they became inside out then put them in the little waste receptacle that they had also placed the bullets in. She finally reacted and leaned in, picking up his large left hand with both her small ones, stroking the blotchy palm, his fingers curling in reflexively. His senses thrilled at the light caresses to his hand. She sighed and looked up at him, her face's color improved slightly, but still pale. There was a look in her eyes as if she had made a decision and oh how he wished he was privy to her thoughts. He watched her as she stood up from her chair, releasing his hand she leaned in and gave his mask a light kiss on the cheek with a twitch of a smile on her mouth. How he wished it were his face. He continued to watch her as she walked off in the direction of the bathroom.

"Time to clean up," he spoke to himself cheerfully, the painful throbbing in points throughout his body almost forgotten for the moment.

Evey came out of the steamy bathroom, feeling much better after a hot shower. One thing she had to admit about her haircut was that it was time saving in the shower. She stepped out and looked over at the kitchen, expecting to see V and while she did see him she was not expecting to see the kitchen spotless, appearing to not have ever held their operation on his arms, and he was cooking, wearing that ridiculous frilly apron over his pajamas.

"V, you shouldn't be cooking and you didn't need to clean everything up!" Evey exclaimed worriedly, a note of exasperation in her voice.

That smiling mask turned to her from the cutting board, head tilted he responded almost jovially, "There, there sweet Evey, no need to trouble yourself with that."

"It's not me troubling with anything but you! You should be resting, we haven't even finished taking the bullets out of your body!"

At this he wiped his hands on a hand towel, "Actually I have already tended to my other wounds for the most part, although I need some of your assistance for a couple stray ones in my sides."

Evey just stared at him, unbelieving, then heaving a great sigh and slumping her shoulders, all the fight left her. She gave him an ironic smile, "Of course V."


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Notes: I thank all the reviewers (theshadowcat, Salt06, SupportSeverusSnape, princess moon shadow, Libertad23, and anaticulapraecantrix) for reviewing! I am letting all precious readers know that I won't post new chapters without a certain amount of reviews per chapter. That isn't too much to ask since it appears 175 are reading this story! Posting of pre-written parts will 'ppear when preceding praise is placed!

Chapter 6

Back to the present, Evey was still at V's side as he slept on his cot. The past week of nursing him and removing the bullets did end up taking their toll on V. His body's remarkable healing ability sapped him of his strength and energy. Evey had almost gloated, wanting to tell him that she was right after all and that he should have listened to her and taken it easy instead of cleaning up, scrubbing out bloodstains, and making dinner a couple nights ago when they had finally removed the bullets. But of course that would have been childish, she wouldn't stoop that low, although V had caught her knowing smirk of self satisfaction after she made sure he was alright.

The sudden tightening of his hand on hers made Evey jerk in surprise and look at the Guy Fawkes' mask.

"Hello Evey, I see you've come to attack this man while he's down," he joked, voice not sounding sleepy at all. She couldn't figure out if he had been awake this whole time or always woke up, mind and voice instantly clear. She wouldn't put it past him either way.

"How are you feeling?" Evey asked.

With a light grunt as he sat up on his cot he replied, "Quite invigorated! As good as new!"

With that he released her hand and promptly began to pull off the patches of gauze that covered a few of his wounds. Evey quirked a brow at him, wondering if he could have healed already and got up to flick on the lights. Sure enough new pink skin had already formed under the stitches, even absorbing some stitches into his body under a thin layer.

"Ugh! That's gross!" Evey exclaimed teasingly as she gently tapped at one of the wounds where the stitches became a part of his skin.

V had stiffened momentarily, but forced himself to relax, realizing that she was talking about the submerged stitches.

"Well yes, I probably should have taken the stitches out yesterday, but it will be a fairly simple thing to remove these myself-"

A growl interrupted the vigilante, Evey put a hand to her mouth to hold in her smile and chuckle. Thoroughly embarrassed by his loud stomach he almost reprimanded the empty organ out loud but instead looked up at the young woman beside him, "He doth protest too much. Although it is quite advantageous for me to heal rapidly it does take a lot of energy out of me, I do not suppose there is something to eat?"

"Already ahead of you. I made something for you for when you woke, just let me heat it up," Evey replied with a smile, glad to have her quirky companion back, "Did you want me to bring it here, or do you think you can make it to the kitchen?"

V stood up from his bed, towering over her, showing her his answer to that, or so she thought. She smiled up at him and took him by the hand to lead him out of his room, but he stopped her and sounded remorseful, "I must dress first-"

"Really?" Evey interrupted, on verge of a pout, and then with built confidence and flushing cheeks she voiced her thoughts, "Because you look quite sexy just as you are."

That gave him pause, making him double take on her words. Then even more regrettably he replied, "I'm sorry my dear Evey, but I think I will be taking this meal in my room, alone."

The smile fell from her face as she stared up at him with liquid eyes making V wish he were able to take back those words so that she would smile at him once more.

"But why V? Why can't we share a meal? You have nothing to hide, I told you that I don't care, that I never did care about your appearance. You're not ready to show me what is beneath that mask and I'll accept that for now, but can't we at least eat at the same table? I'll even blindfold myself!" She argued heatedly, desperately.

"Evey, underneath this mask-" he started but was cut off by an angry Evey.

"Is a man I love! Yes, you had your moment as an idea and blasted Parliament with it, started a revolution with it! But now you're here, your part of that is done since you never intended to live to finish what you started and what's left now is a man! I'll be damned if I let that be taken by the people too!" she stood her ground, her face blotchily reddened. A year ago she probably would not of been able to say this and had she even the guts to somehow push even half of what she said out she would have ran off afterwards, not being able to face the consequences. Yes, thanks to V she had grown strong, able to face him even as tears blurred her vision. She breathed heavily from her outburst and struggled to calm her breaths.

Silence reigned the room. V was still, stunned by her performance and even a bit proud at how much his little Evey had grown. She was still glaring at him defiantly, her jaw and small frame firmly set. Seeing that he could not put the issue off now that she had brought it up head on (and had he not told her what seemed ages ago that there would be no more secrets?) he took a seat on his cot and motioned for her to take the chair then clasped his hands in his lap. A gentleman would wait for a lady to take a seat first, but such gallantry in this situation would feel threatening to Evey, him looming over her as she were cornered as it were. She looked at him with narrowed eyes for a moment, wondering what was to happen next, but complied to his silent request and walked across the rug to be seated in the chair next to his cot.

"I believe it is time to talk about our… relationship," V began, the last word leaving his dry mouth hesitantly as he looked Evey in the eye intently, "You will have to allow me time to adapt as it were. This was not an eventuality that I had prepared myself for, nor allowed myself to even dream of."

"People are never prepared for falling in love V. It's something that just happens and you ride with it," Evey retorted softly, already melting and wishing she could hold him close to her. To not even consider the possibility of finding love was inconceivable to her. She relaxed her guard, deeming it safe enough as he was not completely brushing this off, he was actually trying to communicate with her without riddles and hidden meanings, "You can't mean that. That you didn't even allow yourself to dream of love?"

At that his face seemed to turn slightly to the side in such a manner as to suggest that he was becoming diffident, she would even venture to say that he looked adorable, the public would definitely never term terrorist Code Name V as "adorable". It could make one laugh.

"Well, I suppose I may have briefly considered it within this past year since I became smitten with a certain vixen, who I would not have thought would return such feelings to this very humble servant of the public," he offered.

Evey almost barked out a laugh at how he ended his sentence and said, "Very 'humble' indeed Mr. Fireworks! But-" and she softened her tone once more, a smile tickling her lips as she reached out and took his hand, "I certainly will accept your affections and whether you're ready or not you better get used to my affections. I know you're not used to it and we'll go slow, but I hope one day very soon you will realize that love isn't about what skin you're in, but what's in here," she tapped his chest, "Although, I have to admit," and here she gave him a coy grin, "I'm loving the muscles that came from your hard work."

She had no time to react, he was upon her and she was suddenly in his tight embrace, her arms trapped between them, it almost hurt. Evey had been pulled into his lap so quickly that she had tensed in surprise, but immediately relaxed and smiled, looking up at the masked man. She rested her cheek against his scar roughened shoulder, enjoying him holding her.

"I love you Evey," he whispered into her ear, the air from his lips passing through the mouth of the mask.

"I love you too," replied the young woman. She spotted what appeared to be lesser scarring on the front of his exposed neck and gave it a light kiss, hoping he would feel it despite more than possible nerve damage. He tensed with almost a gasp, the barest intake of air at the feeling.

'Yes, he felt it,' thought Evey with some satisfaction.

He looked down at her in his arms and after a slight tightening of his arms he released her and they both stood up, "You are quite the seductress and tempts one to forget about going slow. Let me get dressed and I shall join you for breakfast, or perhaps lunch? I have lost my sense of time."

"It's probably around lunch time now. And yes, we'll go slow," with that she lifted his hand to her cheek and closed her eyes briefly, enjoying the touch then released him so that she could leave him to dress.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: Thank you to the seven people (theshadowcat, Belmont-Bellamy, anaticulapraecantrix geez, your name is a mouthful lol, princess moon shadow, Amber, Paige, Libertad23), out of 101 readers of Chapter 6, who took the time to leave some sort of comment! I really appreciate hearing a little shout out so I know people are actually reading it and not just clicking to the page and decide it's not worth it. Am I insecure? Perhaps, but really what's more of an issue is that I'm crying out for attention… hahaha! Just kidding (or am I:-P)

**Chapter 7**

Evey wiped her brow, preventing the drop of sweat making its way to her eye and stretched her sore back. It appeared that no one had come down to the dark tube station so hopefully no one saw the evidence of their life together down there. Currently she and V were cleaning up the last of his blood that lead to the Shadow Gallery's entrance. She couldn't believe just how much of it there seemed to be, it was dried and brown and she knew it looked less than when it had been fresh blood. How did V drag himself all the way back home, to her?

"And into what void are you looking so intently into?"

Evey visible snapped her eyes and shook her head at V's interruption, turning her head towards him and smiled, "Just thinking, nothing you need to worry about."

"Is that so?" he let that phrase linger in the air before straightening up before walking towards ground zero, along where they had scrubbed out his blood, with a brush sweep in his hands.

"Where are you going? We already cleaned it up!" Evey called after him down the tunnel, clearly confused.

"Exactly, now I must go and dust the area," came V's exuberant voice.

"What do you mean dust!" called back Evey's voice as she jogged up to him, quite worried now. She knew he liked to try to keep his surroundings fairly clean and orderly, but this was just too much!

"No need to worry my dear, you must be thinking that I must have finally lost my mind, or more so than usual in any case," he amended buoyantly, "But I assure you that I still am maintaining my usual facilities. This is no dusting as you are thinking of, rather I am to RE-dust the area so that it appears undisturbed by our recent activities."

"Oh thank God," Evey breathed, visibly relaxing beside him, "I wouldn't know what to do with you if you decided to go on a city wide cleaning spree."

"Hm," he grunted, playing the part of a wounded man at her comment he replied rather dryly, "Yes, what ever would you do?"

Evey gently elbowed him in the side, conscious that his many recently healed wounds may still sting. Although if his injuries had bothered him during their work he showed no signs that they did.

They sat in front of the telly in the darkened Shadow Gallery, V sagging back into the couch, legs stretched out in front, and Evey snuggled up and leaning into his side with his left arm draped across her back and curled in towards her stomach where her right hand met his, fingers interlaced. They had began the movie sitting up side by side, then at Evey's tentative but determined movements and signals they had evolved into their current comfortable and intimate position. V had almost held his breath thinking, "Is this really okay?"

He had allowed himself to be molded for her comfort and began to relax into it, finding the arrangement more than pleasing and agreeable. He could get used to this, her head resting against his chest, her shoulder under his.

The pictures on the telly flashed different colors and projected them against his white mask, brightening it then darkening to grays. But was it acceptable for him to get used to this innocent intimacy? There was no mistake, he did want this, yearned for it more than anyone, but he had his doubts. He had yet to truly reveal himself to Evey who, through her determined conviction, had let him know exactly how she felt about it all.

Evey shifted against him, rising up slightly before settling against him again, raising her left hand up from her right arm and resting it against his stomach, fingers lightly splayed. V glanced down at her, seeing only her buzzed head from this angle. He really wasn't watching the movie much anyway so lost in his thoughts and the feeling of this woman against him was he.

But for all those beautiful words that Evey had let fly out of her mouth, and he knew that to her in that time they were honest, he couldn't help but be distrustful of them. Like the fox in Aesop's Fables who had at first really wanted those grapes that were out of reach, he truly wanted to believe that Evey would accept his ruined visage, all of him, but feared that it would turn sour as soon as he relented and allowed her to see the man under the mask.

Evey moved again, V's attention immediately snapping to her, his head turning to watch as she sat up and looked up at him, his arm still wrapped around her.

"V? Are you all right?" concern quite evident in her voice and on her face.

"Yes, of course. I'm fine, why do you ask?" he replied, hoping that all trace of his dark thoughts were not apparent in his voice.

"You've been awfully quiet and haven't responded to my questions."

V stilled, he couldn't believe… but of course, he was so wrapped up in his thoughts that it was more than possible that he didn't hear her.

"I'm very sorry. I did not mean to upset you, I was just lost in my thoughts," he told her quite honestly, squeezing her lightly to him.

"Anything you care to share with me?" she asked, her face mostly smoothed from worry.

"Nothing you need to trouble yourself with," he answered quietly.

"Good, because if you were dwelling on any doubts you have about me accepting you as you are you are going to get an earful from me," she stated matter of factly before settling back down against him. She felt him stiffen guiltily against her. A sad, but knowing, smile made its way to her mouth as she continued softly, "But you wouldn't be doing that because you know I love you and you wouldn't doubt me like that."

She tightened her fingers around his briefly and stroked his stomach gently for a moment. He looked down at her in remorseful wonder. No, he should never have doubted her and her love for him, but those were yet again words, the true test would be in action. But for a time he would put his belief in her. He looked at their joined hands at her side, his scar-thickened hand against her dainty ones. He convinced himself, he had to believe, needed to. He mumbled his words out, his answer and promise to her.

"No, I wouldn't."


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: Wow, Chapter 7 has gotten the most reviews out of all the chapters (10 reviews out of 94 readers, my percentage has gone up! YAY!) and at the quickest rate out of all the chapters as well! That makes me very happy. :-D

Thank you jennperry22 for your, dare I say, detailed review. It was very comprehensive and very flattering I must say. I'd give you cookies but I'm afraid the only cookies you'll get via internet might clutter up your connection LOL!

theshadowcat and Libertad23- Too short! Why that's preposterous! The last chapter was well over 1,000 words:-P Chapter 1 & 4 are the only ones that are under 1,000 words, although if you compare this story's word count average per chapter to that of my Escaflowne fanfiction "For Want of a Nail" at average word count per chapter being 2,500, VfV chapters are somewhat short in comparison since I consider this as a small project, but I also update a lot.

peachi- Yes, I too have read without reviewing since I started reading a lot of fanfiction, but lately I have been reviewing since it would be hypocritical of me to ask for reviews when I myself haven't been reviewing.

SupportSeverusSnape- Yah, I can't wait for the movie to come out on DVD/VHS! Must have it!

Thank you Paige, anaticulapraecantrix, princess moon shadow, and GoldenLyre for taking the time to put in a review!

squishmich- Yes, how very astute of you. A certain amount of reviews in exchange for a chapter, not too high a price… J Thank you very much for your kind review, I am very happy to see new names popping up who are reviewing. I have to say that VfV is actually rather a dark story anyhow, especially the original comic that the movie is based on. It shows the worst of humanity and government, but like I said in my summary we are looking at the softer side of life after such harshness. A little fluff to go with V's frilly apron LOL!

Chapter 8

Another week had passed since V's recovery. During that time he had quickly gone about re-training himself. To Evey his behaviour seemed almost manic, but realized that it was probably quite normal for him. She had gotten used to the slow, quiet days of his recuperation and now that she thought about it it had been a rare occurrence for V to be home all day, doing nothing, so rare that she couldn't remember a day when he was _not_ active, recent events aside. His form appeared excellent to her eyes, the same old V, but apparently he found himself lacking by the way he horribly clashed against the beat up suit of armor. He has been in quite a mood since returning with their ill-gotten goods, or woke up on the wrong side of the bed, he had been at the armor the whole morning. She felt sorry for the inanimate object of his wrath, not to mention her numb ears…

"V," Evey finally called out, her pity for the armor taking action, "You're not going to have a sparring partner anymore by the way you're going at it. Why don't you take a break?"

V continued thrashing the miserable armor for another moment before finally relenting with a last thrust to his opponent's heart. He brought his legs together with a click of his heels and saluted the defeated suit with his rapier before putting it and the weapon away against a wall and going to the kitchen where Evey, tea and cookies awaited him.

"Now can you tell me what happened at the storehouse that you 'liberated' the food from last night?" Evey asked him when he sat down at the table, "And don't tell me 'nothing' because you are clearly upset!"

V gave a deep sigh and clasped his hands together on the table, collecting himself he began, "It really was noth-"

He stopped mid-word at the infamous "look" Evey gave him, the one all people in a relationship with a woman got to know. He sighed again.

"I ran into some trouble on the way, nothing I couldn't handle, but something I should have been easily able to avoid had I truly been in 100 condition."

"What happened?" Evey gently pressed.

"I was observing the streets from the rooftops and going in for a closer look around the storehouse when I tripped," he finally confessed.

"And then what happened?"

"I got up."

Evey stared at the masked man in front of her, there had to be more to it, right?

"And what's wrong?" she asked.

"I tripped!" he growled out in frustration.

Evey rolled her eyes and fell back against her chair, "And here I thought you came into some sort of confrontation, nothing else happened right?"

"Nothing! Had I been more careful and observant of the placement of my feet I would not have tripped! Do you know how dangerous it is to fall on a roof? Or to fall at all? Had I not been careful I could very well have been heard. Not to say I still wouldn't have completed my mission to bring back sustenance," he said rather peeved. He crossed his arms across his chest stiffly.

Evey smiled at him, eyebrow quirked as she got up from her seat, "But no one heard you, or at least didn't come after you and you came back safely, which is all that matters to me."

She stood behind him, V turned his head to her in question, arms still crossed against his wide chest. She put her hands up on his black-clothed broad shoulders and began rubbing and kneading them. With yet another sigh he released his irritation and relaxed his body, allowing himself to enjoy her massage as he lifted his mask enough to drink his tea and eat some cookies. Evey had yet to see him, but felt they made a little progress since they now had their meals together and avoided looking at his face when he lifted it to eat for his comfort.

"All I'm saying is that beating the tar out of that poor old armor for something like that won't change what happened. I'm rather surprised you let yourself become worked up over something like that since you know how much worse things could have been," she finally said as he finished his tea and brought his mask back down. She smoothed her hands across his shoulders and leaned in against his back, wrapping her arms around his neck. She pressed a kiss into his black wig where she supposed his ear would be. He leaned back into her, putting a hand up on her arm as he turned his head, his hair brushing against her arms.

V cherished each of these moments with her and looked forward to more intimacy with no little amount of trepidation. Had things been different he could have lived with just being with her, being able to talk with her was bliss, even with the arguments, or even because of the arguments. He couldn't deny that he yearned for her physically, like this with arms around him, them holding hands, she leaning against him when they watched a movie, but had she not wanted him like that he could have lived with just talking with her. He would have died happily as it was more than he had expected in his lot in life.

"Would you be interested in watching a movie with me?" V asked, breaking the moment of peace.

"Yes, of course V," Evey replied, a little surprised. They usually watched one at night, not in the early afternoon. Not that there was anything particularly pressing to be done this day that they couldn't watch it now.

They walked to the… what would probably be termed the "living room" and V went about setting up the DVD and the telly. Evey sank into the couch and allowed him to handle all the details as she watched him moving around, turning down the Gallery lights and joining her on the couch.

As the movie began, beginning credits showing on the screen V turned his mask to her hesitantly, in thought probably. Evey observed him out of her peripheral vision while keeping her eyes on the screen, wondering what he was about to do. He seemed to face the screen again, his fingers twitching. Leaning back lightly into the couch, he slowly, uncertainly, lifted his arm as one would to a frightened animal, although he was probably that animal. Arm hovering between them Evey was quite sure she knew his intensions and mentally urged him, this would be the first time he initiated contact of this sort. She sat very still, not wanting to change his unsure mind. After another moment of hesitation he finally brought his black-clothed arm up and slowly around her back, curling it around her waist gently. Evey looked up at him with a warm smile and scooted herself right up against him and rested her head on his shoulder as they watched the movie in silence. Under the smiling mask was another smile.

The movie had finished a while ago, credits rolled off screen and V had turned off the telly with the remote. Evey felt lethargic even though she knew it was barely evening. The Shadow Gallery was just as its name, the lights were still dimmed, the living room lights off. Even V's head was resting atop of hers, although whether it was from also feeling the lethargy or intimacy, Evey wasn't completely sure, but suspected the latter happily. Little steps, little steps…

Evey closed her eyes, perhaps they could take a nap together? She breathed in his scent as she had throughout the whole movie. He had not taken a shower after that workout with his "sparring partner" as he normally would have. Instead they had gone directly to watch the movie, allowing Evey the rare chance to smell _his_ scent, not that of his polished leather or soap (or on a few dreadful occasions Pre-Parliament detonation, blood) but the warm comforting smell of another breathing being.

V was very alert, as per usual, but he was also relaxed. He was not tired as others may have been after such a long sparring session, not close to lethargy as Evey seemed to be… And was she scenting him? His thoughts paused as he realized that his love had been discreetly smelling him- There! She was doing it again! Going so far as to press her nose into his chest! Was she enjoying this? She must be, V realized, and now that he thought about it this was perhaps the first time he presented himself to her after a workout without a shower.

Would he be permitted a simple pleasure? V wondered, she allowed him so much, encouraged him so much. He swallowed. He slowly trailed his left hand up, the one that had been holding Evey to his side, bringing it up her arm, now at her shoulder. He felt her go still at his hand's movement. He gently brought the hand to her shorn head that rested upon his chest, his chin no longer upon her, and hesitantly started stroking her up along her delicate neck to the top of her head. He was ready to stop at a moment's notice should she show any tiny amount of discomfort. Instead Evey relaxed, pressing her face and a smile into V's chest she brought her arms around his torso into a hug. V brought his left hand down to go around her and brought his right hand up to continue running his scarred fingers through her short hair happily.

Yes, there were firsts for everything and Evey made it so very delightful.

"I love you V."

Soft eyes looked down through eye slits, returning her words, "I love you too."


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:** So here is the long awaited chapter 9! Thanks to all who left reviews, I appreciate them very much! (14 reviews out of 195 readers for Chap. 8, thanks go to storm, theshadowcat, princess moon shadow, Belmont-Bellamy, squishmich, jennperry22, SupportSeverusSnape, anaticulapraicantrix, peachi, Salt06, GoldenLyre, Meme Emi, feartoxin, Young Chica) Nope, didn't whip this chapter out as quickly as the others since I didn't get this far pre-typed before I started posting. As for character development, I hope it can be seen in what I have written and also that time lapses can be seen in how I write. I count on those time lapses once in a while so that I don't need to write about their every single moment. Also I will admit that in Chapter 8 V was a bit out of character at throwing a fit over just tripping himself up, but I didn't want to worry about him getting a possible injury by meeting up with Fingermen (in other words I was being lazy :-P) but I may change and edit that area some time later after I have completed this story.

We are coming upon the end of this story in another couple chapters, which is a rare event for me since I have yet to complete any multi-chaptered fanfic. It's hard to end something. I have had a hard time writing this chapter, I'm not sure if it's smooth yet, but I hope it's satisfactory. If not, don't hesitate to comment upon it in your review since I appreciate knowing what my readers think. Stories can always be edited and tweaked.

**Chapter 9**

The two had ended up taking a nap on the couch after all, or rather Evey slept against V while he continued to stroke her head. V did not sleep since he did not feel tired and was rather content in feeling Evey sleep against him. His body thrummed with the feeling of her breath against him, her arms around his body, her body curled into his side.

"Oh God she is beautiful," he murmured to himself as he had for so many long years, and with a smirk he added, "Lady Justice was right to be jealous."

V was quite sure that it was close to the time dinner needed to be prepared, but he was loathe to extricate himself from his dear lovely Evey. He felt his stomach tighten uncomfortably and sighed. He hadn't eaten properly since the previous night; he would have to get dinner started now. He stopped fondling Evey's head and brought his hands down to remove her arms from around him so that he could get up to get dinner ready. As soon as he started gently tugging on her arms to release him Evey woke up with a startled gasp, eyes wide with fright as she jerked back away from him.

There was a moment of silence, the two on the couch staring at each other, V's hands still holding tensed arms. The young woman relaxed and V released her, feeling cold dread and guilt constrict his heart and spread throughout his body. He knew very well why she had that reaction and it was no simple nightmare from during her nap.

"I'm sorry V, I thought you were… you just surprised me," Evey finished awkwardly.

"I apologize for surprising you, I was just getting up to fix our dinner," V replied, his words coated in that certain quality that was meant to reassure her like the first morning when she had woken up to him in that ridiculous apron making her eggy in a basket. She knew her reaction must have shaken him. He had already gotten up and made his way to the kitchen, turning up lights along the way, pulling his apron out with a flourish and proceeded tying it on behind him and started pulling out ingredients from cupboards and refrigerator.

Evey got up from the couch as well and into the kitchen, she touched him on his shoulder, but he quickly slid out of her grasp under pretense of going over to another cupboard to pull out bowls and dishes.

"V, are you okay?" Evey asked, knowing full well that at least his first answer could be a white lie. They had not broached the subject of her imprisonment and how it would impact their relationship, they both had avoided it, knowing it would cause each other pain and being busy with other problems such as healing the masked man and getting him to accept her feelings.

"I'm fine-" V started, but was cut off.

"No more secrets."

Evey's return of his words stung him, he turned from the countertop to face her. She was standing squarely, one could almost say defiantly, but her words had been spoken tenderly and her face was soft with patience, love and pain shown in her brown eyes and in the endearing twist in her eyebrows.

He sighed deeply, his shoulders dropped and all pretenses that everything was fine went with it to his shined boots. Evey motioned him to take a seat as she sat down at the kitchen table.

"This is all your fault you know," Evey started, making V tense, already mournfully resigned to his fate of becoming alone again, or perhaps to not exist would be a relief… and why was she smiling? Was she such a cruel woman? To tease him with what must be a mockery of love on those lips? Then she spoke, "I wouldn't have been able to try and talk with you about so many things and discuss our feelings before you strengthened me. I would have either let it sit and blame you, or yell at you, already set to not consider what you had to say."

His previous thoughts came to a halt as he took in her words, as a plant would drink in water, slowly. But the cogs in his head sped up, analyzing, repeating what she had just said in his mind.

"I had hoped that you would see what I was doing for you," he said finally, a hint of relief in his level voice.

"Yes, I think I realized truly what it was you did for me when I went about living alone topside and away from you after I healed," she paused, seeing his hands curl into fists on top of the table. She reached out across and took one of his scarred hands into her own smooth one and pulled it towards the center where she brought forth her other hand and began pulling his fingers away from his palm. He allowed her this and relaxed his hand, laying it flat and watched her watching their hands as she took it between both hers and stroked his palm. She continued speaking, "I can't say I didn't worry about being caught by the Fingers and being identified by anyone and everyone around me, I don't think you meant me to loose caution anyhow," she smiled briefly as she glanced up at him then returned her eyes to their hands.

"No, I did not as fear is one thing and being cautious is quite another. With what I do I have learned quite the difference in them," he agreed with her. He supposed his palm would have tickled had he had half the feeling in them before his incarceration at Larkhill, but now, even after all the training he put himself through to feel as much as he could with what nerve endings he had left, he could only feel the light pressure of her fingers running against his palm. Evey seemed to have quite the interest in his hands, perhaps a fetish...

"I'm not going to lie to you, as you saw I still hold some residuals of that time with me. Once in a while I have nightmares that I'm still there in that little cold cell, worrying Rossiter would open that door any minute. But I haven't been having as many of those dreams like in the beginning despite being freed," Evey continued quietly. She had shuddered at her utterance of "Rossiter," to her he was not V even after knowing everyone she thought in that prison as several people were all one person and dummies. She wasn't ready to face that facet of him fully, only partly; one thing at a time.

V knew about her nightmares and had a very strong suspicion as to their content. It hadn't taken long to find out what they were about. The time after her imprisonment she had spent recuperating before she had left him he would hear her tossing and turning on her bed, she had become a very light sleeper and when she slept she often cried. Not too long he had heard her scream "No!" just as she had at him as Rossiter. Her freedom had come at a price. But now months after that he realized that he should and should not have been surprised at her behaviour. She had almost fully recovered, this was the first time Evey had awoken in such a way, that he was aware, that was a residue of her tortures. She did not sleep as lightly, slowly readjusting to comfort and safety.

"I hated you," Evey said softly as she continued, V flinched, but was glad that her words were in past tense, "I'm sure you knew that and probably prepared for that."

V nodded, she was correct. He had tried to guard his heart when the day for her release approached, had already tried when he went to torture her, because it also tortured him. But it still pained him deeply when she came out, broke down and then after a time of recovery, left him with a promise of a dance that he was not sure she would keep.

"But, and this you should know, and if you don't I would wonder about your supposed genius," her face twitched into a grin, "I came back and I was able to accept what had happened so I could dance with you. I don't hate you, we spoke words of love, and I meant them, did you?"

"My beautiful Evey, never question my love for you," came the immediate sharp reply in a deep, rough voice, his hand captured the one that had been stroking his palm, gripping it securely. Evey, momentarily alarmed, widened her eyes, but relaxed and squeezed his hand back. She wanted to say those words back at him, for she knew he had doubted her. But she held them back, content in that she had said her piece and he had took her hand, the situation diffused.

"But you know…" Evey started mischievously, V's attention snapped to those words, leaning in curiously, "It wouldn't hurt for you to take responsibility, since you did cause those nightmares, and come to the rescue now and again. It would be great to wake up to you."

V leaned back, grunting noncommittally. Evey grinned at him devilishly as he fidgeted in his seat for a short moment.

"Yes, but then you would have a permanent bedmate, and then what would you do?" he replied flippantly as he got up to prepare dinner once again, leaving Evey surprised and pleased at his answer. She let out a delighted giggle. V smiled underneath his mask, his floral apron back on, as he prepared the ingredients. Who would have imagined that his Evey, as she is now, would giggle? But, it was easy to imagine as she was before he "captured" her to giggle, long curls bouncing.

He paused in chopping the vegetables when he felt Evey press herself to his broad back, her arms coming around and hugging him. He continued chopping the vegetables.

They ate dinner quietly, as became the habit when V had given in to actually eat with her at the same table. Talking had the habit of them looking at each other, which was not something V had desired while he partially unmasked himself to eat. He ate with his face turned to the side Evey avoided looking at him directly, but she did face him as she ate and though her eyes were directed at her food she could still see his unfocused form in her peripheral vision. The black form of his body, his hands of angry burn scars that handled a fork and knife on the plate, and she noticed a similar color, his chin, peaking out from under the white mask that was tipped up for a bite, before it was brought down while he chewed.

This was not comfortable. Evey had felt uncomfortable eating when V had not, but they had conversations and it had distracted her slightly from the fact that he was not eating with her. And though it was preferable that he eat with her and not just observe her, she wished they could converse regularly, face each other from across the small table and not worry that he did not want to be seen. She darted a glance up at him when she heard what would have been a sigh, but sounded as though it came through his nose. He was looking at her, the mask in proper place; she knew he was looking at her though all she could see were the black pits of the mask's eye holes.

V knew the awkwardness that would result in his acquiescence to Evey's request, demand rather, for him to join her for meals saying she would allow the mask and that she would not look at him. He knew she meant it, but also that she had pretty much said anything to get him to eat with her. What she really wanted was for him to reveal himself.

She had seen his hands and had caressed them and held them, she had seen his body (more intimately than she cared he was sure. Who would want to dig bullets out and sew wounds up?) and cared for him, had not left him. The young woman had proved to him time and again that she would not leave him, not anymore. He had yet to show his full trust in her, he needed to show her.

"V? Are you all right?" the words wafted up to his ears. Evey's face was again concerned, her eyebrows again tweaked in a way that could only be done by her and no one else.

"Yes, quite. Let's finish dinner and we shall talk in the living room," he replied, quickly going about finishing what remained on his plate, though his appetite had been taxed now that he held some dread of what he knew he would need to do after the completion of this meal. But no, he would have to have his faith in Evey Hammond.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:** Wow, 20 reviews for Chapter 9! That is the most reviews I have ever received for any one chapter for any of my stories! Thank you very much! So now because of that I will be expecting at least 15 or more reviews for this chapter before I post up the next and final chapter for this particular story. Well, in any case it will take me a while to figure out what I want to write so I figure it will take me a week or two anyway and by then I'm sure there will be several reviews.

Also, I wondered if anyone was curious as to the meaning of the title of this fanfic, Sonnet XLVIII. Can anyone guess? I can't say that there will be a prize and if there were one it would most likely take the shape of a drawing, something free for me to do and easy to scan and send. Interested in seeing my work style you can go to my bio and click (or copy and paste into the address bar) on the Elfwood links, one is fanart, mostly Inuyasha which are the oldest therefore scary. But you can also see Kimahri from FFX done in black marker outline and watercolors which I'm very proud of. Also in the fantasy section a lot of random unicorns, armored horses, and dragons. Yes, I am advertising myself, but it's not for money so I think it's all okay. :-P

More notation on the bottom of this chapter.

**Chapter 10**

He knew she would leave him. One may call him a cynic, but being a cynic kept one from hoping too much so when undesirable things happened, he would lose nothing. But he had. He had lost his Evey and he wished he could just die. After all those sweet things she had said, and he had believed those words like the alluring sweetness a Venus fly trap put out to attract insects, but then snapped shut to digest the trusting fly. Yes, he had been a fool to trust anyone with his face.

"V? Are you okay? You just went still and silent," Evey asked, face again concerned. V snapped out of his day dream (or rather day nightmare, a daymare?) chiding himself, he was causing his love too much worry in just a day. No, this was his sweet Evey, she would not betray his trust as he had feared in his repeating nightmare. Leaving him after he revealed his face under the facade of Guy Fawkes. He needed to have more faith in her. She had shown him how strong she really is, no longer the frightened girl he had picked up that night a little over a year ago to observe his handiwork at the Bailey.

Evey seated herself on the couch, one leg tucked up under her, as she observed V begin to pace around in front of the telly. His scarred hands were clasped behind him as he moved with hesitant agitation. Evey had an inkling to what all this may be about. She also imagined that for all V was able to express himself well with body language, it was usually well chosen and targeted, like that of an actor. But what she saw now was not carefully planned and not something he has done in a great while, if at all.

The tall man in black was like a void, perhaps very much like a black hole to Evey. While things that surrounded him were of many colors and hues from the covers of his many books to the banned paintings on the walls of the Shadow Gallery, the man himself was of no color in his choice of attire. And it pulled all of the young woman's attention.

V paused in his pacing to turn his head to the side to observe his companion, his black hair sliding forward from his shoulder to swing gently forward with the tilt of his head. Evey stared back at him, wanting him to say something already, but knowing this was something he needed time for and it wasn't in her place to rush him when he was already trying and considering. Oh, but would she push him again another day if he failed today.

Evey shifted off her leg that she had been sitting upon, it had started to get tingly and showing signs of falling asleep on her.

"Have you learned anything of my past from Chief Inspector Finch?" V's cultured voice finally cut through the silence. He stood across from her, his hands now neatly clasped in front of him.

"V, will you at least sit down first? Please?" Evey asked, she patted the couch cushion next to her. He tilted his head at her and unclasped his hands, "As my lady wishes."

He walked to the couch and took his seat next to her, sitting on the edge, straight-backed and attentive. Evey imagined that had the vigilante had his cape on he would have begun his descent to sit with a flourish of his cloak.

"Yes V, Chief Inspector Finch told me what he knew after we watched your fireworks. It just filled in the blanks of what I knew about you. Your vendetta, the people you killed, and it explained your hands, which was the only part of you that I had seen at that time," she told him, reaching out to touch one of those livid hands she had mentioned. They were the only physical part that he had come to regularly reveal to her and the only reminder that he truly was a man underneath that mask.

'She is always touching, trying to touch me when we are near,' V thought. He truly enjoyed the fact that Evey did not give her actions a second thought, did not look disturbed, disgusted or anyway deterred from her insistence at the contact. He knew he was being an imbecile. He should fear pushing her away with his continued wait to unmask before his love, hurting her and perhaps causing her to give up and leave over time. He did not like that possibility at all. Such a lovely young woman as herself would be quickly snatched up by some cad, no one could possibly treat her well enough.

"Then you know of the explosion I caused in my cell," he stated, seeing Evey nod her head.

"Yes and knowing how small that cell was myself I know how you must have burned your whole body," she added with a squeeze to his hand. He responded to her words with a stiff nod. She was watching him, the silence becoming heavy for the reluctant man. There was only one thing left to do, but he wasn't ready, he couldn't, he was mentally backpedaling from what action he knew she wanted him to take, the one he knew he should take. But the relatively soft lights of the Gallery suddenly seemed bright, blindingly so. Such light, in his mind, would make things glaringly stand out. He had to get away from such light, to another room, turn down the lights. Turn off the lights.

Evey heard the intake of breath V took in preparation to speaking, but he was hesitant to let the words come forth. Then, in a fashion very much unlike the masked vigilante of old, but now becoming of him post-Parliament as their relationship progressed, he stumbled over his words, full of pauses and a diffidence that was extremely rare to see in such a capable and confident man, "Perhaps, that is, I would rather, we should…" he let out a great sigh, attempting to calm his nerves with that gust of air he reformulated his words in his mind, hoping to convey them properly out loud. His head and body slumping slightly as though in defeat before he slowly straightened up and directed his gaze back up to her, "Evey, please forgive my ineptitude. I fear I don't know what to say or do, but please follow me to another room where I would find it more… comfortable."

Evey gave him a patience gentled smile, this man was quite endearing in the way he dithered. He stood with her, reveling in the reassuring clasp of her hand as she kept them connected, her thumb smoothing over the back of his hand before she reached into his palm and had them interlace their fingers. Who, but the man, knows if he may have blushed?

She followed him as he walked a slow gait to his room, the library. Beyond the first group of towering books in amongst his cot and the chair she used lay there was, of course, more books, but also an upholstered chair huddled in a corner, one too heavy for Evey to drag to his side during his convalescence, hidden among books and a lamp next to it sitting upon a pile of even more books. She looked up at the tall man in black in curiosity as they stood in the doorway to his room. He indicated that she should step in and he closed the door then the lights started to dim, she noticed his hand on the light button, she had pressed that large button to turn on and off the lights in this room before, not realizing that it was also a knob that allowed its user to adjust the light. And now, red hand laced in white was turning that knob until it was almost pitch black in the room save for the faint strip of light that crawled in from the slit under the door.

"V?"

"It's all right dear, sweet Evey," his voice softly rumbled, the darkness allowing his self-assurance to return a bit. He reached out for her other hand and pulled her slowly to him and placed her hands onto his chest, pulled one out to beside them and had her briefly touch the knob that would turn on and up the lights in this room before he returned her hand to rest on his chest once more.

"There is the light switch, you may choose to turn it up as you see fit," but she heard his silent plea of 'Please wait for me, I need to prepare my heart.'

She felt the movement of his chest and felt that he had brought his hands up to his face, where the mask still resided then heard a very faint "click" and hands lowering again. Then she knew. He was without mask before her in the dark. She traced a hand down to his arm, and found the solid, curved object that confirmed to her as his mask and fished it out of his hand to place it in the dark atop a stack of books she knew to exist near them. That accomplished her stray hand joined the other at his firm doubleted chest. She heard the wonderful sound of his breath that did not whistle through the mouth of a mask, but lips of flesh.

Her hands traveled up slowly as to not startle this strong and sensitive man, trailing up to touch the high-collared neck of his clothing and paused right at the edge of the top of his collar, knowing that next would come his jaw, his face. He seemed to be holding his breath, their every movement and exhalations amplified in the dark where eyes could not be used, but only touch, smell, and sound (and perhaps, if permitted someday, taste). The fingers moved up and brushed up against his jaw. V breathed in.

Evey's lips curled as she felt lightly along his jaw and chin, feeling the uneven patches of skin, rough then smooth, similar to his hands. It was mostly smooth, some felt like rubbing the surface of fleshy plastic, if that made sense, along with leathery patches like that on his torso among the uneven surface. She couldn't feel stubble or hair aside from the wig that swayed at the back of her hands. She felt his chin, his temples, his forehead. Her fingers traced the naked brow ridge where eyebrows should have been and wondered if even his eyelashes were gone. She heard and felt him sigh, his breath caressed her face as he continued to stand still before her while she continued to gently explore the contours of his face. Kind hands felt down his ruined nose, feeling what was not there… there was really not a nose to speak of, no tip that pointed out prominently like that of the Fawkesian mask, but a gentle slope outward only to slope back down along with melted down nostrils. She stroked out along his cheeks then finally pulled his face down as she pushed herself up onto the balls of her feet and kissed uneven, firmly soft lips.

She heard his wet gasp as strong arms wrapped around her lithe and slight body, clutching her to him almost painfully, his face buried in her shoulder where she started to feel moisture collect. It almost broke her heart.

She brought her own arms around him, trying to soothe this broken man who had yet to come to terms with this part of him. She started to hum and rock the grown man as one would a child, telling him it was okay, bringing a hand up to the back of his head, stroking it through the wig that still stayed in place, leaning her head against his.

'She hasn't seen me yet, she hasn't seen me yet,' chanted through his mind as he struggled with himself.

And then there was light piercing through his eyelids, however soft, and he dreaded what would come next even as he realized that nothing could change Evey's convictions as he had helped her to do. Not even death.

She was drawing back from him gently, her hands at the sides of his face and he resignedly allowed her to. He saw her smooth cheek going away past his peripheral vision, then her eye and then all too soon they were facing each other, her hands still grasping him about his head lightly in the dim light of his room.

She took his features in, a smile gracing her face as she shyly looked into blue, wide-set eyes for the first time and said, "Hello there, it's nice to finally meet you."

He would have chuckled, one could be sure, were the situation not as it was. But his heart finally understood, he finally allowed himself the painful joy to radiate.

'She didn't, she didn't look away, her eyes are still showing love…'

Her eyes stung and face flushed for a moment at the look of understanding and surprise dawned on him, that she did accept him. Why had he held that heart crushing doubt? She sniffed and brought her thumbs under his watery eyes, wiping away his previous tears that were upon his mottled cheeks. Expressive blue eyes stared into her as she pulled him in for another kiss. She brought his head down and pressed her lips to the corners of his mouth, his cheeks, his brow, dotting his whole face with soft kisses. She questioningly fingered his wig, he nodded his assent and she slowly slid off the wig, revealing what appeared to be a hairless head, more mottled, scarred skin. She set the wig beside them in the general location of his mask, bringing her hand up to his scalp and seeing his ears for the first time.

His left ear was not much to speak of, a small disfigured cup that melted along into the rest of his head held a hole. The right looked more like an ear, earlobe still intact if also a bit disfigured as well. In fact she would venture to say that his right side was slightly less damaged by the ravages of fire than his left, although not by much. Perhaps that was the side he had pressed against into a wall to brace himself against the blast of his cell?

"You are beautiful," she whispered to him, not blushing at all and very much serious.

He didn't believe her statement, but didn't argue; after all it was ungentlemanly to disagree with a lady.

**Author's Note:** Hehe, did I scare you all with the first paragraph of this chapter? Pretty evil of me huh? ;-D I wonder if I made V a bit too soft and sensitive, but then again I figured it's a big event to reveal a face that had been hidden from all people for so many years so…

Tell me what you thought and leave a review.

Thanks go to: peachi padwan, Paige, princess moon shadow, storm, graciousplum, Vendie of Rivendell, Salt06, Liana-Elfgirl, MX, Lady-Willowish, vampiricfaerie, Sunday's Child

anaticulapraecantrix- I hope this chapter answered your question

theshadowcat- well, not much of a conversation, but I hope this will do J

squishmich- thank you very much! As for a sequel… let's say there are always possibilities, just not thought out yet

Young Chica- LOL! Yes, I have found myself forgetting what I wanted to comment upon as well so sometimes I open up the review box right when I see something so I don't forget, but no worries as long as the story was enjoyed.

Jula- Wow, thanks for the enthusiastic comment.

Blackwing-Rose- Glad you like the "nothing but evey and vness" which is fortunate since I wasn't ready to go into the political happenings and the aftermath of V's actions. :-P That would be for another story…

Anon.- Thanks for the compliment, but I can't be Alan Moore, I don't want to get sued… lol!

LizzAnn- Thank you very much! You and others have stroked my ego very well, for which I am rewarding you all :-D. Yes, I hope to continue to write as well since it is something that allows me to write things the way I want them when such a story isn't available for me to read by others. I find it most enjoyable and it allows me to use vocabulary that I would not otherwise use in everyday conversations.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Notes:** The final chapter for this particular story and I have more author notes below. Please enjoy and leave reviews, you all have been most wonderful. Thank you LizzAnn for being reviewer 100!

**Chapter 11**

Evey had to coax V into the light unmasked as one would a soft-pawed puppy from the gentle grass to the rough asphalt on its first walk. She tried her best to build his confidence, that he need not worry about his appearance since she loved him. The former BTN worker took all opportunities to touch him, caress his cheek, hold him, and kiss him to such a point that she realized she was probably smothering him. Oh, but the man would argue that he had never felt more loved than ever in his memory.

Things couldn't change over night, that was just unrealistic Evey knew, though she wished it were so. The lights remained dim in most areas, V clinging to the shadows when he could, only coming to the brightly lit kitchen when Evey beckoned him for a meal. Most times she would go to where he was, though her eyes felt strained at times. She wanted him to adjust to the new situation of being undisguised.

V felt utterly naked those first few days, feeling air brush his face when he walked, disturbing the air as he had not since before he met Evey and certainly not when another human was present. When he was in view of her he'd keep his head looking down to the side as if to minimize the amount of his disfigured face that she saw, but that didn't last for too long.

'He's doing it again, avoiding looking directly at me when I look at him. The poor man is being ridiculous!' Evey thought with mostly exasperation and amusement, and, as most of his blatant low self-esteem issues when it came to his body's appearance, a touch of sorrow.

They had been reading on the couch, Evey curled up into one corner and V sitting at the other side. She had felt a prickling in her periphery vision and knew the figure in black and gray was gazing at her, his attention no longer on the open book held across his lap. She looked up from her book to meet his gaze and he flinched his look away opposite her, not even bothering to pretend to have been reading.

The young woman sighed, there was only so much of this that she could deal with for only so long. She set her book down on the floor, she knew she had his utmost attention by the way his body stiffened into alertness as she stretched up and crawled across the couch to kneel next to him. She brushed his hands away from his book, closed it and also set it on the floor, he had turned his head down to watch this and now watched her as she reached out and held his head in her hands, resting her forehead against his, looking into his startled eyes.

"Stop it," the order left her mouth firmly, "there's no need to avoid my eyes, I'm sure you didn't when you were masked so I see no difference now that you are without mask. Especially now since I can see that you are actually looking at me or not. I don't think you were really that much of a shy man."

His eyes looked away after maintaining a few more seconds of the intense gaze, but she was sure it was from embarrassment now and though his damaged skin didn't show much of a blush, she could feel the slight increase of warmth in his cheeks.

"I apologize for my behaviour, I hope you can forgive me," he finally said, their faces now parted for a small distance, but he was looking into her eyes this time.

She smiled and replied, "Already forgiven."

She leaned in and kissed him on his brow then tugging on his arm she pulled him, indicating that he should come over and lay down along the couch. He hesitated at first, but Evey had rested herself against the arm of the couch she had been against earlier and was pulling at him again after she scooted back. He removed his boots and complied and was surprised to have her place his body between her legs and his head against her soft chest. He let his eyes close, his unbooted feet up on the couch. One of her wonderful light hands stroked his bare head and his cheek, the other stroking down along his vest covered chest and stomach. He tilted his head back as he turned it to the side to try and look up at her, and when he did her hand cupped his strong jaw and pulled him up slightly as she curled down to kiss him on his lips. She leaned back with a smile and continued stroking him.

"If that's my reward for looking at you you will find me gazing at you unabashed all day," came V's light voice.

Evey let out a delighted laugh.

With the unmasking of V it felt like he had to get used to being intimate with Evey all over again (though with mask he still hadn't crossed the barrier fully), but with Evey's coaxing and unfaltering love he again adapted to the situation as he had all his known life. The little slip of a woman had surely put him in for a twist as he had not anticipated when he first met her. But he did not believe in coincidences, as he had stated before, and time and again things turned as the Fates saw it fit and he couldn't be happier with the outcome.

Still, he couldn't help but feel like a school boy and his first love, it was all he could do to return to his ways before their confessed love, to not falter in his speech, to not let his knees buckle when she came up with that enchanting wide smile of hers that lit up her whole face reserved for him.

V came precariously close to true happiness as he had ever been in all these years. Not too hard to believe since previous to the invited intrusion of his little effervescent Evey he had spent his years painstakingly plotting and excitedly executing his vendetta. But still, he could not leave his heart truly unguarded, even though he truly wished to. Too much had happened to him that left thick scarring not only on him physically, but within him as well. He could trust humanity only so much, hoping that they would take the opportunity to take back their country from the likes of Creedy and Sutler was one thing, but to entrust his very heart to another was quite yet another.

Evey came up to him from the washroom ready for bed, wearing an oversized shirt that found itself slipping over one of her shoulders. The man in V found himself appreciating how her slender neck and pale shoulder peaked out and briefly wondered if she were to wear something less… concealing. The thought was quickly banished from his mind as swiftly as it formulated. He stood up from the couch as she approached and gently took her into his arms for a goodnight kiss. Yet another thing he had to adapt to, although he enjoyed it immensely.

It had all started with her coming up to him to give him a peck on the cheek before she went to sleep that first night he had gone without his mask. As he had all her previous kisses he had accepted it with disbelieving wonder. The second night he timidly returned the kiss to her cheek. Then one day, casually, their lips met and that is how they end every evening, it becoming a routine that was not at all something another would associate with the doldrums that "routine" would imply.

But now, instead of his love turning away from his arms with a "Goodnight" and walking off into her room, she instead pressed her body into his, her arms still around his slim waist, and her head resting against his chest. He held her for lack of knowing what else to do. It was pleasant, but he wondered why did she not go off to bed? Still, he did relish the feeling of her in his arms and of her holding tightly to him, her warm frame pressed into him as he indulged in the sensation and brought his head down to rest his cheek against the growing soft hair on her head.

Evey could hear his steady heart beat where her ear was pressed against his sturdy chest. She was quite willing to seduce him at a moment's notice, but feared that he was not ready for that, she hid a grin at that thought. No, she wasn't the most innocent of individuals, but he wasn't either, although more in another sense as he was no new hand in killing, but seemingly quite new to this soft loving. Would this modern Renaissance man be shocked with some of her thoughts concerning him? Such as what they could do on the couch if they didn't make it into her bedroom? Or the floor?

V looked down at his love, feeling the oddly mischievous vibe that she seemed to be emitting. She had reddened cheeks and a struggling devilish smile, 'Oh dear, what _is_ she thinking about?'

Though inexperienced in these matters, he is a man foremost and began speculating as to the contents of the woman's head, and with the glow of her face, the tweak of her lips, he had a fairly interesting supposition as to her thoughts and with a mental gulp and a shrug decided to act on them.

Evey felt herself being gently pushed away, at first she wondered if perhaps V had become discomfited by their prolonged contact and change to their general routine, but then she saw, and then she didn't as she closed her own eyes and reveled in the soft kiss V gave her as he gathered her in his arms more securely against his body. She tightened her arms around him and began stroking down his firm back quite enjoying his initiative. She breathed in through her nose when his mouth slightly opened against hers and wet met her lips. She allowed him entrance with a thrill and heard and felt him quietly grunt. Were it not in that moment she would have gleefully exclaimed, "You _are_ a man!" with much laughter, but could you blame her if she was a little preoccupied?

Ungloved hands ventured across the delicate dips and curves of Evey's back, one going up to support her fine neck his height and being the aggressor of this had her tilting back her head, and his other hand went down to lightly, lovingly grip her hip as he had not before in such a context. Her encouraging purr that came from low within her throat exciting him further, allowing him to dare put that hand to cup her bum. She did nothing to discourage his actions whilst in their heated embrace, her own hands stroking up along his sides, holding his head and stroking his jaw as she pressed herself to him.

They felt their hearts pounding against their ribs, breathing harshly through their noses and finally Evey had to pull her face away to breathe properly as she leaned her forehead into his and looked into his opened eyes. The look in his slate-blue eyes made her startle and quiver within as she had not before; there was undisguised fire bright passion in those eyes as such she had never encountered in her young life, though she was sure that she may have noticed it earlier in their acquaintance had he not hid behind a mask such was his passion for his vendetta. She knew her eyes reflected at least some of that fire as he had gifted her with.

"To the couch my fair Eve?" his normally smooth, cultured voice came out in a sensual, roughened rumble that made her tingle in a most intimate place. He placed kisses along her fine jaw, to the rapid pulse in her neck and heard her gasp out, "Yesss."

His thin lips curled up into a smile against her neck.

V stared contentedly up at the dimly lit ceiling of the living room; on top of him lay his sleeping love and both remained clothed lying on the couch, though not for lack of trying. His shirttails were out and rumpled, a couple buttons undone near his collar, but overall clothing remained intact. He rubbed his hand along Evey's back when she mumbled in her sleep. He almost broke at the look of desperation that had flashed across her face when he stopped them from going any further than the teenage like snogging they were already doing. However passionate they were he did not want to do something they may regret later, nothing was guaranteed in this life as he well knew and they would need to broach and discuss certain topics before allowing any further physical contact beyond what they had already done.

He ran a hand gently over the soft spike of hair on his little Evey's head wonderingly, loving the warm weight of her body on his and how her cheek and nose was pressed into his chest, her hands wrapped around him as his were around her.

She had become a bit upset, even knowing and accepting the situation and he couldn't blame her, you cannot stop someone from the way they feel. They had gentled and settled their passions calming down to languid kisses and strokes of his hand upon her head and body. She had sniffled briefly, such a pithy amount that he questioned if she had in fact sniffled, and laid her head upon his chest, drawing circles and other patterns in front of her face onto him with her fingers with a sigh. He bent his head and kissed her forehead before leaning back into the couch, quite sure he'd gain a crick in the neck and perhaps his back but knowing it would be more than worth it for what he gained that night.

As he glanced down at her sleeping form he allowed his happiness to remain, laying to rest for the moment all their possibilities and shared future, and whispered into the silence of the Shadow Gallery, "I love you my Evey."

The Beginning

**Author's Notes: **Chapter 10 received the most reviews for any one chapter for any of my stories ever 32. Also this story in general has had the most added to favorites and alerts than any story I have posted as well. Thank you all for your support and taking interest in this little story!

The sonnet I titled this story after, the few of you who replied to my question were all correct (theshadowcat, Aisalynn, and vampiricfaerie, I can't guarantee anything, so don't get your hopes up, but if you would like you may request fanart, or whatever drawings. They'd be more like sketches and that's all I can really offer as a poor college student lol! You may see some samples of how I draw/paint at the Elfwood sites listed in my bio. Don't know if that's suitable since I don't know if all of you are arty yourselves or not, which is why it's a choice…). Sonnet XLVIII (48) by Shakespeare.

http/ careful was I when I took my way,  
Each trifle under truest bars to thrust,  
That to my use it might unused stay  
From hands of falsehood, in sure wards of trust!  
But thou, to whom my jewels trifles are,  
Most worthy comfort, now my greatest grief,  
Thou best of dearest, and mine only care,  
Art left the prey of every vulgar thief.  
Thee have I not lock'd up in any chest,  
Save where thou art not, though I feel thou art,  
Within the gentle closure of my breast,  
From whence at pleasure thou mayst come and part;  
And even thence thou wilt be stol'n I fear,  
For truth proves thievish for a prize so dear.

And why did I choose this sonnet to name the story after? I very much liked how one reader penned it:

"Oh, and William Shakespeare's Sonnet 48, which really makes sense. V has all of that art, all those treasures hidden away underground, but what he fears most is that Evey will be stolen from him. Love it. :)" from Aisalynn.

And I think this explains it quite well, but I did not dig up this sonnet from in my mind. I set out to title it as such in substitution for my lack of classic literature quotes to pull from for V to say. Since I could not do as many excellent fanfic writers for VfV were able to do I left it with the title and hoped that I would be able to keep V's character even without the use of the many excellent quotes he would probably use. I love reading, but I rarely, if at all, can pull out a quote from a book I read.

I forgot if I warned you all or not, but I have never finished a multi-chaptered fanfic before, until now. You all are lucky, since I have neglected, but not forgotten, other fandoms I have written in. It's so very hard to finish what I start since I have so many ideas and go off in tangents or start new stories and then don't know what to do with them since it all seemed to have gone out of control, it must be some sort of writer's anxiety… So feel lucky I finished this for me and you. I think I was able to do it, however poorly it may have finished, because I did not imagine it to be gigantic as I have envisioned my other fanfics. From the very beginning I was set out to do 11 chapters (know why?) and for it to be a fairly short fling. And all your encouraging ego stroking really helped :-P, thank you all. As for a sequel, I left it quite open for one, as I said previously, I have so many ideas…

Thank you to: graciousplum, theshadowcat, princess moon shadow, Young Chica (stay away from that evil brew! ;-P), Lady-Willowish, Blackwing-Rose, Mauve Mist, peachi padwan, storm, SupportSeverusSnape, Lady Light, LizzAnn, anaticulapraecantrix, squishmich, Sunday's Child, Salt06, Aisalynn (I decided to use Hugo's features since he was under the mask of V for the movie), PadawanCassy, Timberlou22, EmilyTheStrange13, vampiricfaerie, Kuruma-forever, Caiyah, Jjah-Jjah (Gabor?), pinkarella7, ladyofthedragons1, abrildelsol, Alexa Minasian, Queen of the Unknown, PyroSlytherin, Angel715, and BlondeSquirrel. Thank you to all who may review after I post this chapter up as well, I enjoy reading every one of your reviews!

I've babbled on for long enough.


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